


she keeps me warm

by steviewrites



Series: cadnis [3]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Autumn, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Crushes, F/F, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Halloween, Pining, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-10-13 12:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20582756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steviewrites/pseuds/steviewrites
Summary: five times janis lends cady her jacket, and the one time cady offers something of hers.





	she keeps me warm

**Author's Note:**

> started this not thinking i would finish, but i’m so glad i did! happy spooky season ♡
> 
> [title inspo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG4nRI9Wmzk)

“I literally can’t believe you’re making me do this. Like, of course you are, but I can’t believe it’s actually happening.”

Janis snorts, reaching behind her to take Cady’s hand protectively. Despite her grumblings, the other girl gladly links their fingers, jogging to walk beside her.

“It’s the first night of October,” Janis reminds her in a low voice, like she’s cautious of ghosts who may be eavesdropping. “You had to have known I’d wanna commemorate it.”

Their boots crunch on the path, littered by orange leaves beginning to abandon their branches, as they head for the back gate of the cemetery. Janis deliberately parked on the opposite end of the property so they could make the dramatic trek through the small woods, a lifelong fantasy of hers. A lukewarm breeze sweeps around them, and although it’s not as foggy and cold as Janis would’ve hoped, she couldn’t think of a better way to welcome her favorite month.

She hands Cady the flashlight so she can open the elaborately designed gate, needing both hands to push it. It creaks delightfully loud, and Cady’s eyes get big as they slink past it.

“Won’t we get in trouble?” she whispers worriedly to Janis.

“For what?” Janis inquires, retrieving the flashlight. “If anyone came by, we’ll just tell ’em we’re here to visit my dear old grandmother.”

“Okay,” Cady sighs, not convinced they won’t get arrested for trespassing. Janis smirks and grabs her hand again, leading her toward the sprawling tombstones.

At least the night sky is dark and littered with stars, a comfort to Cady. Janis wouldn’t have forced her to tag along if it was cloudy or going to rain, so she’s happy that seems to help her friend relax. Damian vehemently refused to join them, claiming he was pushed by an unseen entity in a cemetery as a child at his grandpa’s funeral.

“What’s the point of this, exactly?” Cady murmurs after several minutes of aimless, uneventful wandering.

Janis shrugs, shining the light on a tombstone that bears the name of a doctor who died in 1983. “I dunno. It’s interesting.”

Cady presses close to her as they keep walking, checking out the various headstones. Cady will only let Janis go to fix any flowers that were blown away or messed with by the wind, placing them back where they’re supposed to be. She also cleans up silly string sprayed on the tombstones by teenagers with less than respectful intentions, and nabs empty bottles and snack bags strewn about.

“So rude,” she huffs, dumping them in a trashcan near a bench. Janis snickers, putting an arm around her neck when she returns.

“You’re cute,” Janis coos, and Cady makes an embarrassed little noise.

“Well, it is,” she insists, hugging Janis’s waist. “This is a burial ground, not a party venue.”

“No, you’re right,” Janis agrees, but hugs her a bit closer, just to feel the warmth of her tiny body. The temperature is dropping enough for her to justify it.

Cady shivers at one point, meaning Janis _isn’t _imagining the sudden chill, so she does the obvious thing and takes off her jacket.

“Wait, now you’re gonna be cold,” Cady protests as Janis drapes it over her.

“I’m already wearing long sleeves,” Janis tells her, trying not to laugh at how the jacket, even oversized on Janis, practically swallows Cady.

Cady _hmphs _but doesn’t refuse now that she’s wearing it. “Well, thanks. Very chivalrous.”

“Just doing my lesbian duty,” Janis jokes, and pretends not to notice how red Cady’s cheeks get. It’s unbearably cute.

They keep exploring and theorizing about the lives of those under their feet until a crotchety voice yells somewhere by the entrance, demanding to know what they’re up to.

Cady shrieks, startled, and Janis snatches her hand again as they race back to the gate. It’s perfect timing, for the batteries in her flashlight are starting to wane. Cady moans about not being able to survive in jail while they hurry to Janis’s truck.

But Cady is soon laughing, breathless when they climb in, and pulls Janis’s jacket tighter around her regardless of the rush from their escape.

Janis smiles to herself as she revs the engine, turning the lights on to help guide them home. Cady keeps the jacket on the entire drive to her house, and Janis doesn’t mind.

* * *

Clouds brew overhead all day the following week, and Janis’s heart does this weird skippy thing when she approaches the entrance to Cady’s neighborhood that morning, where her friend is waiting with her head tilted back to observe the ominous weather.

“Mornin’,” Janis drawls to grab her attention, and Cady lights up—the only drop of sun on this otherwise dreary day—when she sees her.

“Hi,” she chirps, returning Janis’s fistbump. They set off for school then, falling into step beside each other contentedly. The only sounds are Janis’s boots on the sidewalk, the rush of cars driving past, and the clamor of fallen leaves being whisked about the streets by the autumn wind.

The only smell Janis loves more than the crisp, sweet scent of fall is whatever is in Cady’s shampoo, but she shoves down that realization despite the fact the breeze is tossing Cady’s curls in her direction.

It starts raining during their lunch period, and Cady insists on sitting outside in the shade of the umbrella tables for no reason other than she just really likes listening to the rain.

“We used to get caught in these massive storms in Kenya,” she tells Janis and Damian, who are always fascinated by her life there. “Like, in early spring it’s pretty rainy, and sometimes a storm can just start without a warning.”

“Amazing,” Damian breathes unironically, chin in his hands, sandwich ignored.

“Yeah, we’d be gathering up our equipment and racing back to our tent,” Cady recalls, amused at whatever memory she has of her lanky, good-intentioned father likely tripping over himself in his haste to protect his research. “I’d stand at the doorway just watching the rain pour down. I loved the sound, and the smell.”

As usual when reminiscing about Africa, she gets a little forlorn the longer she talks, so Janis bumps her foot to her leg under the table comfortingly.

“But, yeah, I love rain,” she concludes, opening her yoghurt cup. “One day I’m definitely taking you guys there so you can see for yourselves.”

Damian clears his throat, pretending his lunch is too rich to hide the fact he instantly teared up at her offer, and Janis wonders how he’d actually survive the real thing as emotional as he is. Janis is already excited for it, though. She has no doubts Cady will make it happen.

Damian can’t drive them home because he has to stay after school for choir, but Cady came prepared, reaching into her backpack to retrieve her brand new umbrella that she claims is the coolest one ever made. Janis also doesn’t doubt that, but presses her lips together to keep from laughing the longer it takes for Cady to find it.

“It was here!” she exclaims, kneeling on the floor to open her bag and rifle through it. “Nooo! I had it yesterday! It has all these animals on it and everything.”

“Oh, I believe you, babe,” Janis assures, endeared.

“Ugh. I freaking forgot it.” Cady slumps sadly. “The one thing I really needed today.”

Janis helps her up off the floor. “That’s okay. We won’t get soaked if we run.”

Cady raises her eyebrows, pointing to the torrential downpour. “We are _not _walking in that.”

Janis, already shrugging off her army jacket, grins. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? We’re running. Your house is five minutes from here. C’mon, it’ll be like reliving the good old days in Kansas.”

Cady rolls her eyes. “_Kenya_,” she corrects, exasperated.

She gives in, though, and Janis’s jacket is a fun makeshift umbrella. There’s lots of slipping and sliding regardless of how careful they are, and Cady laments over her wet socks the entire time, which is considerably more stressful.

They finally make it to her house, laughing and dripping and shaking their hair out under the safety of the Herons’ front porch. The temperature dropped significantly since this morning, and Cady’s teeth chatter as she fumbles for the house key. Janis, an expert at handling cold Chicago weather, drapes her huge jacket around her shivering friend and opens the door for them. She doesn’t miss it when Cady pulls the garment closer, looking like a wet turtle with her backpack bulging beneath it.

The house is warm, and they leave their shoes—and Cady’s unfortunate sock situation—in the foyer. Cady flops down at the kitchen table while Janis goes to make them hot drinks, and she smiles when she notices Cady keeps the jacket on even after setting her bag aside.

Whatever helps her warm up, Janis thinks, happy to be of service.

* * *

“Oh, Janis, you have to come,” Damian whines over the phone as Janis swipes another layer of black polish over her pinkie toe.

“I’m offended you think I give a shit about the epic highs and lows of high school football,” she gripes, and he temporarily forgoes his disappointment to laugh at the reference.

“But it’s the first game of the season,” he insists. “There’ll be drinks and snacks and stuff. You can lust after the cheerleaders and I can…admire the players.”

Janis throws her head back, cackling. “Right. You know I can just queue up _Jennifer’s Body _instead and get the same butterflies, right?”

He huffs, irritated. “Jan. Please. Do it for me. Caddy said she’ll come.”

Janis takes note of the lift in his voice at that last part, like he knows that’ll get her. But then she pauses to wonder why.

Ultimately unable to turn that down, she sighs and says, “Okay, fine. But you owe me. You know there’s nothing I loathe more than sweaty jocks.”

Damian simply giggles and hangs up, and Janis tries not to imagine how pink-cheeked and excited Cady will look on Friday, experiencing her first football game. She didn’t go last year because she was getting a head start on her homework. Of course.

When the evening rolls around, Janis dons her usual attire, but spends an additional half hour doing her eye makeup solely for Cady to squeal over her finally showing her North Shore pride. She even braids her hair over one shoulder, aiming to try and not hide behind it so much today.

Cady and Damian are lounging in the parking lot when Janis’s truck rumbles up, and Janis is not at all surprised that they color coordinated their outfits. Blue and yellow like her eyeshadow except they’re dressed from head to toe.

“You guys are so lame,” Janis comments dryly as she walks around her truck to greet them, and Damian scoffs indignantly.

“We look cute!” Cady protests, and Janis won’t admit _she _does. Low rise yellow shorts—with tights, inspired by Janis—and a North Shore t-shirt with a lion on the front. Her hair is curled, cheeks just as rosy as Janis knew they’d be, and her eyeliner is on point.

A single butterfly, maybe two, beat their wigs against the walls of Janis’s stomach.

Cady sticks close to them, in the middle so she has two hands to hold when the noise and people overwhelm her. They have plenty of time before the game starts, spending it playing a few games at the booths set up by the field, with Damian winning a huggable Pusheen and Janis scoring a little elephant keychain for Cady.

The energy in the air is palpable, and after they’ve found good seats, even wary, reluctant Janis gets into it when the parade and marching band make their debut across the field. Damian reaches over Cady’s head to poke Janis in the shoulder as the cheerleaders bounce out next, and she retaliates by fully shoving him, blushing.

The trio cheer extra loud for Karen, who just joined the squad—as the banner person, running down the line of jumping girls with a long blue and yellow pennant streaming behind her. She looks absolutely thrilled, though, and beautiful in her outfit and new bob haircut. Janis thinks it’s sweet, and very characteristic, when Cady’s eyes glass over with joy for her friend.

Principal Duvall walks out to make a classic speech about the new school year and “kicking off” the football season (a pun met with many groans), and the roaring of the crowd only grows when the teams come jogging onto the field. Now her turn to tease, Janis pokes Damian in the cheek.

During the game, Cady inches closer to Janis til their thighs are touching, and Janis notices the goosebumps on her skin that have nothing to do with the gorgeous, sweaty boys chasing after a stupid ball.

“What is it with you and forgetting things?” Janis snickers in a low voice, and Cady looks up at her in confusion as she slips one arm out of her jacket in order to drape that side around her cold little friend. Cady doesn’t object, however.

“Oh,” she finally realizes, and laughs. More butterflies erupt at the sound, and ignoring that feeling is becoming difficult. But Janis can’t—or won’t—dwell on it now; she’s actually having a good time with her two best friends at a silly football game.

She pretends not to see the furtive glances Damian casts their way every now and then, but isn’t even aware of it herself when her free arm hugs Cady’s waist, her hand just above the top of her shorts. Cady’s enthusiasm outshines the stadium lights, Janis muses.

Her jacket keeps them both cozy. She’s really glad she came.

* * *

“Jan, you know how I feel about scary movies,” Cady mumbles, leaning against the locker next to Janis’s. “And clowns.”

“You can cover your eyes,” Janis suggests. “And you love scary movies, you watch them with me all the time.”

Cady gives her a deadpan look. “Only because they’re the only freaking movies you have. I’m honestly a tad concerned most of your DVD’s are horror flicks. Bad ones, too.”

Janis snaps her fingers and points threateningly at Cady’s face. “Hey. Call the _Scream _series bad one more time, I dare ya.”

Still impassive, Cady pushes Janis’s witchy hand away. “When will you wake up and realize there’s more to life than scary movies and their sexy but underdeveloped heroines?”

Janis’s jaw drops, because nobody’s ever brought it up before, and Cady bubbles over with laughter. Janis stomps off, genuinely mortified, and Cady follows her, catching up to wrap her arms around Janis’s waist and squeeze her.

“You know I love you!” she giggles, not having meant any harm.

Janis is still ashamed, though, and grunts her displeasure at being called out. “Uh-huh. Make it up to me by going to see _IT_.”

“Well, not that much,” Cady jokes, and Janis has to physically restrain herself from pouting when she unceremoniously lets go.

Janis pesters her about the movie again at lunch, annoyed when Damian backs up Cady’s refusals. All Janis wants is to go see a scary movie with a girl, and since nobody else is lining up to do it, Cady is her only option. And she kind of wants her to be.

“Are there other scary movies out right now that _don’t _involve predatory killer clowns?” Cady inquires meekly later as Janis walks her home.

“Ummm. _Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark _was good,” Janis tells her optimistically.

Cady shudders. “I remember you showing me the trailer. No thanks.”

Janis lays it on a bit thick, kicking leaves and pebbles in moody silence for a while until Cady huffs a tiny sigh and says, “You know I’m not opposed to seeing movies with you, I would just like to sleep at night, is all.”

“Fine. Wanna see _Lion King _again?” Janis offers as a compromise, and smiles knowingly when Cady gives her a sheepish look, meaning yes.

The next day is Saturday, and Janis is buzzing with excitement all morning, waiting for three o’clock to roll around so she can go pick up Cady. It really doesn’t matter to her what movie they see, she just likes spending time with her. Plus it’s fun to spoil her friend by buying their snacks and sodas. Things a girlfriend would do. Except she’s definitely not Cady’s girlfriend. This can be classified as a practice run.

Except she doesn’t want it to be practice for a future with someone else.

Janis is legitimately sad when she pulls up to Cady’s house and sees Cady is wearing a cardigan. Offering her jackets has become a sort of habit.

Naturally, Cady tries to buy their popcorn, and they bicker in front of the pimply-faced theater employee for a solid minute before Janis wins the argument. Cady is happy to carry the jumbo bucket of popcorn, though.

Janis’s stomach is all twisty for some reason, and Cady devours most of the popcorn for once, eyes huge as she watches the CGI’d animals in awe. Surely they don’t compare to the real thing, but she loves the story, so Janis is actually glad they wound up seeing this one.

At one point Cady starts to shiver despite her cardigan, and Janis thanks the gods for giving her yet another chance to make sure the poor girl isn’t cold. So into the movie, Cady doesn’t decline when Janis’s pin-littered jacket is suddenly blanketing her shoulders. She’s like a little kid, shoveling popcorn into her mouth, feet barely touching the floor.

Janis doesn’t realize she’s staring at her until she looks over and shrinks self-consciously in her seat. “What?” she whispers.

Janis shakes her head, quickly looking back at the screen. “Nothing, sorry.”

But it was something, and Janis knows this now, and she closes her eyes as a wave of terror washes over her. When she opens them, she has to bite her lip to keep from crying, which Cady interprets as emotion for the movie, and takes her hand. Janis holds on tight.

* * *

On the last Saturday before Halloween, Cady coaxes Janis out of her house—although it doesn’t take much to entice her—and tells Janis to follow the directions given to them by Siri on Cady’s phone, without hinting where it is they’re going.

“I feel like I should be scared,” Janis jokes, and Cady bats her eyelashes innocently.

_She’s so pretty, _Janis thinks unintentionally.

“Nooo,” Cady assures, as Janis makes a right onto an unfamiliar and less suburban road. “I think you’ll love it. I invited Damian because I didn’t want him to feel left out, obviously, but he came down with a cold.”

Janis purses her lips skeptically. “Hm. He seemed fine yesterday.”

Cady shrugs, making sure they’re headed the right way. “Happened fast, I guess.”

She likely mentioned to him that she was going to force Janis to come, and it wouldn’t shock Janis in the slightest if he bullshitted Cady just so they could be alone together. Janis’s crush is a brand new revelation to both of them, because he just knows these things.

She’s genuinely excited, however, when Siri leads them to a pumpkin patch, where she can see a petting zoo setup, cider and snack booths, and a shaded area where local musicians are putting on a show for fidgety toddlers and tired grandmas.

Janis is taken aback when Cady slips a mittened hand into hers upon exiting the truck, but it isn’t an unwelcome surprise. It doesn’t mean anything to Cady, who holds hands with Damian all the time, as does Janis.

But she’ll savor it, and perhaps pretend just a little that it means _something_.

They walk around for a bit, just taking it all in, for Cady has never been to something like this before. Janis takes plenty of pictures and videos of Cady with the animals, consisting of pigs and some goats and a few friendly ducklings in a small pool. Janis takes a precious photo of Cady pouting and holding one baby duck to her cheek, the evening sun hitting her eyes just right. Janis’s stomach lurches when she goes to make it her new contact image.

They sit on hay bales and sip their cider, sharing a bag of popcorn and people watching. They wave at several kids from their school, and Janis tries not to take it personally when they’re significantly more thrilled to see Cady’s smiling face.

“Your clothes are so dark today, you don’t exactly look very approachable,” Cady points out affectionately, reading whatever annoyed expression is creeping onto her face.

Janis looks down at her outfit, which she didn’t realize was peer repellant. “Well, geez. Sorry for keeping up my October demon-witch hybrid aesthetic.”

Cady laughs, leaning on her, and Janis’s brief hurt melts away.

They spend a decent amount of time in the sprawling patch, trying to find just the right pumpkins for their doorsteps, making it a sort of competition to locate theirs first.

Cady wins, picking up a small but round pumpkin and waddling over to a nearby wheelbarrow to dump it. Janis chooses an oblong one and puts it in next to Cady’s, who is panting with her hands on her hips. And shivering.

Well, the sun did just dip behind the trees, and the wind is sharp, and it only seems natural for Janis to remove her jacket and offer it to Cady, whose instinct now is to accept whatever Janis is giving her. She ducks her head to hide her blush, putting it on over her already plush coat and flipping up the hood so it falls in her eyes, making Janis laugh.

They push the wheelbarrow to her rusty red truck and lift their pumpkins into the bed. They climb back in after Cady politely returns the wheelbarrow, and Janis puts on the oldies station during the quiet but content drive to Cady’s house.

Once there, they spread towels over the kitchen table, and Janis grabs the giant knife from Cady’s tiny hands before a disaster happens. She shows her the proper way to cut open the pumpkin, and assigns Cady the extremely fun and not at all disgusting job of scooping the seeds out and dumping them in a bowl.

Afraid Cady will hurt herself but allowing her _some _independence, Janis guides her hand when she wants to finally carve her pumpkin, and tries not to think about how soft her skin is and how cute she looks with her tongue sticking out determinedly.

Cady carves a misshapen but still decent lion head while Janis sculpts the goofy face emoji, to Cady’s inexplicable amusement.

“Drive safe,” she tells Janis later at the curb, sad to see her go. Janis promises her she will, and it seems like a movie moment—just without the kiss. But everything else is enough.

* * *

“Don’t I look divine?” Damian twirls on Cady’s doorstep, showing off his white blazer and shiny shoes. He’s supposed to be Liza Minnelli in _The Act_ on Broadway from 1977, so Janis isn’t sure most people at Karen’s party are going to get it. He does look nice, though.

Janis is also decked in white, only she’s an ashen, recently decapitated version of Marie Antoinette, with chalk dust in her hair and on her face, accentuating the darkness of her eyes. She’s wearing garters and what could technically be considered lingerie. She hasn’t left her house with this much skin showing, ever. Her bare arms are fully out, tits on display due to the corset. It’s a bold move, and a step out of her comfort zone, but she’s happy with it.

The door swings open and Janis can’t stop herself from going “awww!” when Cady appears, dressed in an accidentally childlike Dracula costume. Cady’s face falls immediately and she looks down at her attire like she wasn’t aware she appears ten years old.

“What? It was half off at Party City, in the teen department,” she explains self-consciously.

“Yeah, it’s adorable,” Janis replies bluntly. “You look great.”

Cady turns around to show off her cape, adorned in sparkly numbers and mathematical equations. Only Cady. “See? I put those on. I’m _Count _Dracula. Get it? ’Cause I like math?”

Janis groans and lets her head fall back in despair while Damian tries to analyze the pun when nothing about it changed, going so far as to accuse Cady of ripping off the Sesame Street character, and they fight all the way to his car.

They settle a truce by the time they make it to Karen’s, which is bustling with people, the giant house decked out to the fullest with decorations. Damian drops off the girls and has to go find a place to park, since the street is lined with cars. Janis doesn’t realize how nervous she is until they’re facing the house, which looks like it could come alive and swallow them.

“Hey,” Cady says softly, squeezing Janis’s hand. “You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Janis smiles and squeezes back. “I just, uh. I haven’t been to a Halloween party in forever. Least of all at a Plastic’s house.”

The group of frenemies disbanded after the events of junior year, but she can’t strip them of the label. And as much as she’s grown to like Karen, she can’t help but wonder if she and Damian were only invited as a courtesy to Cady, who’s still close with all three Plastics.

But then her original partner in crime is there, and they’re heading up to the porch together, and she takes a deep breath as they enter under the faux cobwebs strung in the open doorway. Strobe lights pulse inside, orange and green and purple, and a Halloween playlist blasts from the speakers in Karen’s pristine front room. Janis feels a little dizzy, trying to pinpoint familiar faces behind the makeup and wigs, and Cady grips her hand tighter. She’s the protector for once.

They venture around the house, Janis’s other pinkie hooked around Damian’s like they’re a trio of kindergartners intent on following the buddy system. Janis nearly breaks Cady’s hand a few times whenever she thinks she spots Regina, but the tantalizing blonde evidently isn’t attending Karen’s bash tonight, otherwise she’d be draping herself over all these jocks.

Not that Janis cares how much sex Regina has. She just knows her all too well, even now.

They find the kitchen and help themselves to the punch and assortment of snacks and candy on the counters. Karen materializes at some point, squealing with glee that they came, giving each of them hugs and jumping up and down while holding Cady’s hands. She’s a “sexy” version of a train conductor, an odd choice, but it’s Karen so Janis gives her a pass.

“Are you guys having so much fun?!” she hollers over the music, still bouncing, and they all nod to assure her she did a great job.

They wind up being the wallflowers, watching the madness unfold. They can hear Gretchen whooping drunkenly from another room, and Janis finds herself waiting for Regina’s nasally cackle, but luckily it never comes. Whatever kept her from showing up tonight, she’s grateful for, because seeing Regina on her favorite holiday would ruin it forever.

Janis wouldn’t call it lame, per se, but now that she’s here she’d honestly prefer to be in her basement shoveling candy down her throat as they watch one of her awful horror favorites. Like last year, when Cady interrupted with her boy troubles. It truly amazes Janis how much can change in a year, since Regina is no longer an actual threat and they’re standing in Karen Smith’s dimly lit living room, and not because they snuck in.

Cady clearly feels bad they aren’t having as much fun as everyone else, so she suggests they go outside and see what the haunted maze attraction in Karen’s backyard is all about. Damian is mostly downtrodden by the lack of compliments on his vague and vintage costume, and Janis is fighting an anxiety attack the louder the music seems to get, so that seems like a fun and worthy distraction.

The crisp night air helps Janis’s head and heart relax, and their hands stay linked as Cady leads the way to the spooky tent, where an actor dressed as a bloody clown leers at them in the entrance. He warns them to beware in a reedy voice, and Damian shrinks behind Janis.

It’s a surprisingly scary and impressive haunted house given the fact it’s in Karen’s backyard. Damian screams like a little girl and Cady launches herself into the safety of Janis’s arms more than once. Janis nearly punches the actor on reflex when Freddy Krueger pops out at them, and possessively steers Cady away from a genuinely creepy man in a shadowy corner who can’t take his eyes off her.

Damian flops dramatically onto a lawn chair when they exit, gasping for air since he booked it out of there after a woman in grotesque makeup howled at him. Cady pats his shoulder, looking concerned, but Janis knows he’s laying it on thick for attention.

They go back inside to see if there’s anything else to do, stopping to watch a fellow senior chug an unhealthy amount of booze before going upstairs to simply check out the rest of the decor and Karen’s sprawling house. Damian has plenty of thoughts on Mrs. Smith’s choices for her home, and spends an entire two minutes venting to Janis about it while Cady goes to look for a bathroom. When she returns, she has a sickened look on her face, saying she discovered a partially clothed threesome happening in the guest room.

Janis takes that as their cue to leave, and they make their way down the elaborate staircase. Cady seeks out Karen to say goodbye and thank her, scurrying back to her friends at the front door and slipping her hand habitually into Janis’s.

Damian advises them to stay under the light of the front porch while he retrieves his car, and Cady shimmies lightly back and forth to the music while they wait.

A sudden breeze sweeps through, chilling Janis’s uncovered thighs and arms, and a shudder ripples down her spine. Cady’s eyes light up when she notices, and before Janis can say she’s fine, Cady is unpinning her custom cape and tossing it around Janis’s shoulders, absolutely elated to help out this time.

“Uh, thanks, Caddy,” Janis says shyly, but appreciatively, for the silk is already warm.

Cady is standing in front of her now, making sure the cape doesn’t fall off. She’s so sweet and attentive, always looking out for her friends. Janis’s heart and stomach do this aching flippy thing at the same time, willing Cady to meet her eyes, to feel it, too.

And then she does, smiling to herself once she’s pleased, then it fades when her stupid cute blue eyes meet Janis’s shrouded dark ones.

The music, blaring mere moments ago, ebbs into silence the louder Janis’s pulse rises in her ears. She can’t look away, but neither can Cady, and it feels like centuries pass before a different little grin tugs at Cady’s painted lips and she’s grabbing the neck of the cape and yanking Janis down to press their mouths together and _holy shit, holy shit, holy fucking shit._

Janis’s mind goes white after that, and time moves in slow motion, and her mouth is pinker than before when Cady pulls back, gasping like she was just possessed by someone else and is abruptly returning to her body.

For a terrible second Janis sincerely believes that’s what just happened, because there’s no way in hell Cady just did that of her own accord, but Cady’s eyes grow soft and she smirks and she’s kissing her again, still clutching the cape like she doesn’t want to let go.

Janis opens her lips a little, sighing against Cady’s, pushing harder into it so Cady knows this is what she wants.

Yeah. This is all she wants. All she’s wanted for a really long time, actually.

Janis realizes Damian is probably waiting at the curb by now, but doesn’t get a rush of fear or shame at the additional realization he’s been watching. She peeks over Cady’s head to see his car idling at the curb, with him beaming at them smugly.

Without saying anything—because they just said all they need to for now—they walk down the steps and pavement to the curb, where Janis opens the back door for Cady.

“I leave for five minutes,” Damian hisses at her, feigning chagrin.

“Don’t act like you didn’t want this more than me,” she bites back, then pokes his cheek.

Cady appears a bit shell-shocked, but not sheepish. She chews her lip like she’s mimicking the way Janis just pulled at it with her teeth, and Janis grins out the window.

Damian soon pulls up to Janis’s house, turning down the purposefully loud volume of his mom’s CD from the eighties. “Ladies,” he says suggestively, unlocking their doors.

“Aren’t you coming in?” Cady asks, sounding dazed.

“No, my mom wants me home,” he answers cheerfully, winking at Janis in the rearview. “You guys go on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Janis doesn’t argue, practically pulling Cady out of the car behind her. _I owe you, _she mouths to Damian, who blows her a kiss to assure her it’s alright. He waits for them to make it safely inside before driving off, and Janis’s heart is still pounding, because now they’re both warm.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! kudos and comments are fetch ♡
>
>> **find me:**   
[twitter](https://twitter.com/wantingmylove)   
[tumblr](https://cadyjanis.tumblr.com)


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